Explosion at Kazzinc in Kazakhstan

[pmbug]

On May 5th, according to Reuters, an explosion occurred at Kazzinc’s site. Kazzinc said that it occurred during cleaning work on a smoke extraction system, followed by a fire and partial structural collapse. So far, emergency ministry said the fire had been extinguished. Kazzinc, owned by Glencore, has an annual production of roughly 250-300 kt of zinc, 100-150 kt of lead and around 87.5 kt of copper cathode. Kazzinc hasn't disclosed the specific impact. Based on currently available information, the incident mainly involved smoke extraction/dust-collection equipment, may cause temporary disruption to related operations. There is no evidence so far that the main zinc electrowinning line was damaged. Further updates needed on the scope of any cuts or suspensions and the repair timeline.

On May 5th, according to Reuters, an explosion occurred at Kazzinc’s s - Shanghai Metals Market (SMM)

On May 5th, according to Reuters, an explosion occurred at Kazzinc’s site. Kazzinc said that it occurred during cleaning work on a smoke extraction sy

news.metal.com

Where does Kazakhstan silver go? The UK seems to be a big importer:

Yearly:


Monthly (recent):


USA took some back in early 2025, but isn't a consistent customer:


Switzerland seems to have lost interest some time ago:

 

[nickndfl]

I think I know what happened.